Beneath the Summer Sky
by Serafi
Summary: Ranmaru is taking Cecil out to a festival because he won the UtaPri Award, but he insists that it's not a date. His band mates keep teasing him about it regardless, and he storms off in a huff. His outing with the Agnapolis prince proves to be more than he thought or hoped it would be.


**Watched the last episode of Maji Love 2000%, breezed through a bunch of Twitter logs, stared at doujinshi for half an hour, and then I popped in an old Morning Musume (Otomegumi) single I have. What's the point? A recipe for some RanCecil fluff.**

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><p>"It's <em>not <em>a fucking date!" roared the bassist over his other band mates. His normally pale face was bright red and fuming. He pointed a finger in Camus's direction and growled, "So wipe that smug grin off your face or I'll do it for you!"

Reiji quickly interjected in a sing-song voice, "Now, now, Ran-Ran. I'm sure Myu-chan meant no real harm." He turned to the blonde behind him and smiled, silently pleading for some backup. "Ne, Myu-chan?"

"He can do whatever he likes. It's not my fault he's so sensitive and easily embarrassed," said Camus with a languid shrug. His smirk grew wider as Ranmaru folded his arms and leaned back against the wall. "You make yourself such an easy target; I just can't resist."

Ai looked up from his laptop suddenly and asked, "I believe Camus made an accurate assessment, though." Everyone turned to glare or stare at him incredulously. "Think about it for a moment. Why not take his own juniors out for winning the UtaPri Award? Why single out another boy?"

Ranmaru's protest flopped and fell flat. He flipped his head to one side and rattled on with excuses, "Big deal? Ren is taking Masato somewhere else tonight, and besides that, Cecil's never been to a festival before."

"And it's _very _sweet of you to take him to one as a treat!" Reiji chirped and pat his friend on the back. He leaned farther over and whispered to Ranmaru, "You can't fool any of us, though. We know you have a thing for Cece-chan~"

The bassist slid away from the wall and marched out the door, calling behind him, "Think what you like! Idiots…" He walked faster and faster through the parking lot until he was sprinting, trying to drown out the whistles and laughter that followed him. His heart thumped as he fumbled through his jacket for his keys.

"Fuck…" he muttered and emptied the contents of his pockets to find them at last. His heartbeat slowed to a normal pace as he sat in the driver's side and cranked his stereo up. Ear-splitting shrieks and violent guitar riffs calmed him down. "Thank God for rock…" he breathed as he entered the freeway.

The drive back to Saotome Academy didn't take nearly long enough, and just as he and Camus's junior arranged, Cecil was waiting for him on the school steps. The dark-haired boy waved to him as he pulled around the courtyard. He leaned over to whisper something to Otoya and Tokiya, probably thanking them for keeping him company, and they took their leave.

Cecil inhaled sharply and suppressed his enthusiasm as Ranmaru got out of the car. He knew how easily annoyed the older male could become, so he would try his best to put a lid on his energy. A huge grin lit up his tanned face when Ranmaru reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Nice outfit," commented the bassist with a slight chuckle. "Did Masato pick it out for you? It seems like something he'd wear and – " He stopped mid-sentence when Cecil twirled around in his bright green yukata, showing it off.

"Do you really like it?" asked Cecil in an earnest voice, his smile growing. "Hijirikawa-kun said this was the perfect color because it brought out my eyes!"

Ranmaru nodded and pinched his nose to keep the blood from gushing out at once. "Uh, yeah! It looks great on you." He snorted and held his other hand out to the kid, waving. "Come on, let's get going or we'll be late."

Sensing the sudden surge in tension, Cecil took greater care with his composure as he climbed in the car. He clasped his hands in his lap and stared at his sandals until Ranmaru turned to radio back on. Cecil's green eyes panned to the driver's side and he watched his senior bob his head in time with the music, silently mouthing the lyrics.

Rock and roll was stimulating, and also catchy. Cecil felt the vibrations of the song seep into his skin and seize control of his nerves, slowly moving him in time with Ranmaru's flawless rhythm. Before long, both of them were swinging their heads from side to side and singing together with enormous smiles on their faces.

After the song ended, Ranmaru didn't feel so anxious or embarrassed anymore. It warmed him inside and out to see Cecil enjoying himself so, and with something that Ranmaru was also passionate about. He turned the volume dial all the way to the left and shouted the lyrics along with Cecil as they blared over the speakers,

"_Hey, little girl! I wanna be your boyfriend! Sweet little girl, I wanna be your boyfriend!"_

Cecil opened his eyes and stopped for a moment, waiting to see what his senior would do out of curiosity.

Ranmaru didn't realize he stopped either. His bright eyes flickered with excitement and he continued to sing, _"Do you love me babe? What do you say? Do you love me babe? What can I say?"_

Cecil's high-pitched voice rang clearly over his, _"Because I wanna be your boyfriend!"_

The music kept playing but both males fell silent after Cecil's outburst. The younger looked to his senior for some kind of reaction, and damn did he get one; Ranmaru's face glowed in the darkness of the freeway, and his lips were drawn into a tight, thin line.

"So, uh…I didn't know you liked the Ramones…" he started awkwardly, trying to ease back into atmosphere. "Heh. We did a pretty good cover, ne?" He swallowed hard and glanced sideways at his passenger.

Cecil was itching to unleash all of his energy at that very moment, but he continued to suppress it for Ranmaru's sake. He simply smiled and nodded. "We _always _sound great together, Kurosaki-senpai!" He leaned back in his seat and murmured, "That's also the first 'rock and roll' song I've ever heard. Remember? You introduced me to it."

Ranmaru's eyes lit up like neon signs. "_Yeah, _I do remember!" A hearty chuckle shook his chest. "Ha! I also remember how stunned I was when you told me you'd never heard of rock and roll! I mean, come on, who _hasn't _heard of it? At least, uh, that's what I thought."

"I wasn't interested at all, but I guess it grew on me after a while," explained the younger idol, averting his gaze momentarily. "The only reason I gave it a chance was because it meant something to you, and now I understand why."

"Oh? Why, then?" asked the bassist with a quirked brow.

The prince suddenly felt very timid. He laced his fingers together again and licked his dry lips. "It's very raw and passionate, just like you. It speaks to you, and it took me a while to figure out the language, but I get it now."

Ranmaru resisted his urge no longer and reached over to pet Cecil's head, tousling his soft hair. "I'm glad someone understands." A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Look, look!" shouted Cecil, leaping out of his seat. "Is that it? The festival?"

That energy was contagious. Ranmaru's pathetic half-smile stretched from ear to ear with childish delight as they approached the temple grounds. Watching Cecil was probably more exciting than the festival itself; the teen couldn't sit still for a moment. Ranmaru barely had the car pulled into a parking place when Cecil bounded out the door and into the temple courtyard.

"H-Hey, wait up!" he called after his junior.

Cecil skidded to a dead halt at the sound of his name. He mentally berated his momentary slip of self-control. Every muscle in his body stiffened when he heard Ranmaru panting somewhere behind him. "I didn't mean to bolt off so suddenly," he started in a small voice. "I should've waited and – "

"Damn, you run fast," huffed the bassist, bent over with his hands on his knees. "That or I'm out of shape."

"_That's all? No reprimand for being so rambunctious or obnoxious?" _thought the prince with a slight tilt of his head.

Ranmaru stood up and sniffed the air, humming, "Mm. I smell something _good." _His narrow eyes scanned the endless rows of vendor stalls until he spotted the object of his desire. "There! Look, Cecil!" He touched the kid's shoulder and pointed straight ahead.

"Ta-ko-ya-ki?" Cecil paled when he saw a cartoonish octopus glowering down at him from the vendor's stall on a sign. "Um, I'm not really into seafood, senpai…"

"That's because you haven't had takoyaki yet!" declared the older man with a loud voice, motioning for Cecil to follow him. He ordered two skewers from the vendor and passed one to his junior. "Dig in! They're great!" he mumbled between mouthfuls of food.

Sighing, Cecil eyed the fried balls of octopus warily. It smelled pleasant enough, and the spices masked that fishy scent he detested. He sniffed at the takoyaki and turned it over several times before feeling brave enough to take a bite.

Ranmaru's eyebrows rose. "Well? How is it?"

"Not bad actually," garbled Cecil, ripping another hunk of octopus from his skewer. He finished off the last bite and licked his lips clean, humming with satisfaction. "They were kinda tough, but I guess that's how octopus is supposed to taste, ne?"

"I'm surprised you tried it. You're usually stubborn and picky," noted Ranmaru with a smug grin.

Cecil's cheeks ballooned and he quickly retorted, "T-That's because I never had any seafood growing up! In fact, some of my culture thinks it's blasphemy to eat such things."

"Take it easy, kiddo. I was only joking."

"I wish you'd stop calling me a kid, too…" murmured the prince with his back turned and arms folded over his chest. "I'm not as bratty or naïve as I used to be. You…Oh, never mind."

Ranmaru looked over his shoulder and a way to redeem himself caught his eyes. He briefly touched Cecil's shoulder and whispered to him, "Wait here a sec, okay?"

Cecil just nodded and sighed. He hoped tonight would be fun, and maybe he'd get a little closer to breaking the big news to his senior at long last: Hey, guess what?! This is crazy, but I have a crush on you!

"Yeah, right," Cecil grumbled and focused on the people around him instead. All kinds of couples filled the temple grounds, walking hand-in-hand and whispering to one another. Something inside Cecil ached when he saw a couple exchange shy glances and share a brief kiss beneath a giant camphor tree.

"Oy, Cecil!"

The prince whirled around and beheld the wildest sight he'd ever seen; Ranmaru stood there with a stuffed animal under one arm and an ice cream cone in his free hand.

"F-For me?" stammered the younger idol as the black cat plush was thrust into his open arms. Its beaded emerald eyes shone in the lantern light with mischief. Cecil rubbed his head against its soft fur and purred, "He's so cuddly~" Suddenly the ice cream cone was in his face. "That's also for me?"

Ranmaru nodded and smiled. "I shouldn't have called you a kid. You've grown up. Heh." His speech was a little less elegant and to the point than usual. "You proved that by winning the UtaPri Award. I'm, uh…Ahem. I'm proud of ya."

Fireworks exploded in the night sky above the temple, illuminating the green in Cecil's eyes. Tears absently rolled down his cheeks.

"You inspired me, Kurosaki-senpai," he said softly, holding the cat closer to his face, "to become a better idol and an even better man. _You're _my idol."

The bassist was at a loss for words. Cecil's admission was so earnest and innocent he couldn't refuse or doubt him.

Another volley of fireworks soared above the heights of the temple and burst in a shower of sparks.

"Thank you," Cecil finished with a heartfelt grin. "Thank you for everything."

Something clouded Ranmaru's vision and he pawed at his eyes like a sleepy kitten. "I, uh…"

Shyly and slowly, Cecil bridged the gap between them by extending his fingers to touch Ranmaru's wrist. His hand carefully slipped into the older man's and he felt it quiver around his. Now that his question had been answered and their feelings confirmed, he finally relaxed.

"I've always _loved _fireworks," he said in a chipper voice.

Ranmaru felt his tense muscles ease up a little. He cracked a grin and asked, "Why?"

Cecil squeezed his hand suddenly. "Because they're big and loud!" He flashed an irresistibly adorable smile up at his senior. "Just like you!"


End file.
